Mr. President, we are coming to the end of a long path of consideration of fundamental financial reforms. A key piece of the discussion along that trail has been whether we are going to modify the way securities operate, how high-risk…

Mr. President, the points made by my colleagues from Maine and Connecticut are correct. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that consumers are sold loans that they are able to repay. The authority granted to the agency to prescribe…

The gentleman is correct that we would expect the Federal Reserve Board, and, in time, the bureau, to exempt any mortgage insurance premiums that are required to be paid after closing that might otherwise be covered, consistent with the…

Mr. President, I offer a second-degree amendment which I send to the desk. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment. The bill clerk read as follows: The Senator from Oregon [Mr. Merkley], for himself and Mr. Levin…

Mr. President, I ask for the regular order in regard to amendment No. 3789. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment is now pending. Amendment No. 4115 to Amendment No. 3789 (Purpose: To prohibit certain forms of proprietary trading, and for…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside and that my amendment No. 4101 be brought up, considered as read, and that a vote be held at 9 p.m. this evening. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

I thank the Senator. I think it would be useful if the citizens of our Nation were to know who was objecting and that the names be read into the Record. I think the citizens have a right to know where their Senators stand on this issue. It…

Mr. President, I know I put my colleague in a terrible spot by asking that question. But I do think the citizens of our Nation deserve an explanation as to why we are here tonight and not currently debating any of a whole list of…

Mr. President, earlier this evening, my colleague noted that philosophically he shared some interest in this amendment. Others were objecting to it. I wonder whether he would share, in the interest of the debate--and Senator Wyden was just…

I just returned from a 2-day livability tour, thanks to the courtesy of my colleague, Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz, a champion of sustainability. I visited her district in Pennsylvania, where she represents parts of Montgomery County…

America has a long and rich tradition with beer. Many of America's Founding Fathers--including Sam Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and James Madison--who attempted to establish a ``Secretary of Beer'' as part…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to vacate the quorum call. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, the quorum call is lifted.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Parliamentary inquiry: Could the Senator who objected to my request identify on whose behalf the objection was made?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up amendment No. 4019, the bipartisan amendment Senator Grassley and I have worked on for years to end secret holds here in the Senate, and permit 10…

Mr. President, if I could be heard on this very briefly, my friend Senator Grassley is here, and perhaps we could take 3 minutes or so each to discuss this. We have worked on this now for more than a decade. The American people are furious…